Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Quantum Cosmology

Nature volume 215, pages 151–152 (1967)Cite this article

Abstract

IN cosmology a continuous fluid is used to represent the complex contents of the universe. Homogeneous and isotropic models then show that the universe originated from a space–time singularity of infinite density some 1010 years ago1. Before accepting singularities of infinite density we must ask whether the continuous fluid models are realistic representations of an early dense universe. Given that an infinite density is possible in a continuous fluid, does it also follow that an infinite density is possible in a fluid consisting of particles ?

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Robertson, H. P., Rev. Mod. Phys., 5, 62 (1953). Bondi, H., Cosmology (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 1960). Departures from homogeneity and isotropy apparently do not prevent the occurrence of singularities in cosmology as shown by Hawking, S. W., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 294, 511 (1966); A, 295, 490 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Rindler, W., Mon. Not. Roy. Astro. Soc., 116, 662 (1956).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Harrison, E. R., Astron. J. (in the press).

  4. Wigner, E. P., Rev. Mod. Phys., 29, 255 (1957). Bergmann, P. G., and Komar, A. B., Recent Developments in General Relativity (Pergamon, London, 1962). Anderson, J. L., Relativity and Gravitation (edit. by Chiu, H. Y., and Hoffmann, W. F.) (Benjamin, New York, 1964).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Landau, L. D., Niels Bohr and the Development of Physics (edit. by Pauli, W.) (Pergamon, London, 1955).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Planck, M., Theory of Heat Radiation, 175 (Dover, 1959).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Harrison, B. K., Thorne, K. S., Wakano, M., and Wheeler, J. A., Gravitation Theory and Gravitational Collapse (Chicago University Press, Chicago, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Wheeler, J. A., Ann. Phys., 2, 604 (1957).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. These conclusions presumably also apply to the ultimate fate of large masses in gravitational collapse: Harrison, B. K., Wakano, M., and Wheeler, J. A., La Structure et l'Evolution de l'Univers (Stoops, Brussels, 1958). Wheeler, J. A., Relativity and Gravitation (edit. by Chiu, H. Y., and Hoffmann, W. F. ) (Benjamin, New York, 1963). Harrison, B. K., Thorne, K. S., Wakano, M., and Wheeler, J. A., Gravitation Theory and Gravitational Collapse (Chicago University Press, Chicago, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

    E. R. HARRISON

Authors
  1. E. R. HARRISON
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HARRISON, E. Quantum Cosmology. Nature 215, 151–152 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/215151c0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/215151c0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing